Why can't we use NG to power vehicles?
Iran, which has its own problems with foreign oil dependence (lots of oil, few refineries), has developed a robust market for CNG vehicles. The U.S. is awash in natural gas and we need to utilize those resources. I have been waiting for some nationally prominent politician to start beating the drum.
On the one side, you have Iran, the number two OPEC oil producer, becoming the number one growing CNG market in the world; and on the other you have the United States, the world’s largest user of gasoline with huge proven reserves of natural gas, virtually ignoring this domestic resource as an engine fuel.
According to information revealed at the 2nd CNG Conference and Exhibition on CNG and Related Industries, held July 26th and 27th in Tehran, Iran, there are now about 1.5 million natural gas vehicles on the road in Iran (total population estimate of 74 million). Comparatively, there are about 9 million NGV (natural gas vehicles) in use around the world. Of the approximate 1 million new vehicles sold in Iran in their last calendar year, nearly one-half are either fully natural gas powered or bi-fuel capable. There are currently close to 900 CNG filling stations in Iran. Incidentally, the promotional slogan for the Iranian trade event was “CNG IS THE CLEAN AND GREEN FUEL OF CHOICE.”
Conversely, in America (population estimate 305 million), we have only about 125,000 natural gas vehicles on the road, with roughly 1,200 CNG filling facilities across the country. The only automaker selling new CNG cars in the U.S. is Honda, and they produce a little more than 1,000 Civic GX per year. If we had the same relative market penetration as Iran, we would have about 6 million clean or clearner burning cost-efficient CNG vehicles on the road today. If we sold the same proportion of new NGVs that Iran does we would have 20 to 30 million on the road by 2015. Keep in mind that President Obama’s great dream is to have just 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.
Message 25877953 |
